Monday, 26 September 2016

Opec plans fresh oil price talks says energy minister

Oil producers in the Opec group of countries will make another attempt this week to reverse a slump in crude prices, according to Algeria's energy minister.
Noureddine Bouterfa said there would be an informal gathering of Opec members on the sidelines of an energy conference in Algiers on Wednesday.
An oil output cut or freeze would be on the agenda, he said on Sunday.
"We will not come out of the meeting empty-handed," the minister added.
Oil prices collapsed from peaks of more than $100 a barrel in mid-2014 to near 13-year lows below $30 in January. The price on Friday was $44.48 a barrel.
That slump has been causing problems for countries which rely heavily on revenues from exports.
Opec's 14 members, which produce about a third of the world's oil, have so far failed to agree a deal to cut output that would prop up prices.
But the state of the oil market was "more critical" than when Opec last met three months ago, Mr Bouterfa said.
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